Photoprint washing device



Sept. 12, 1950 G. M. RICHARD PHOTOPRINT WASHING DEVICE Filed Marbh 11, 1947 I N V EN TOR. G/PA A r M/P/ CHA p0 Patented Sept. 12, 1950 2,522,300 rnoro'ramr WASHING DEVICE Grant M. Richard. Glendale, Calif.

Application March 11, 1947, Serial No. 733,920

4 Claims. (01. 95-87) This invention relates to washing apparatus, and particularly to a photoprint washing device using swirling ambient water.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a washing device adapted to contain a whirlpool ofwater which is kept in motion and from which the dregs are withdrawn while the fresh water I is continuously replenished.

Another object is to provide means for preventing photoprints from collecting at the center of p the whirlpool.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the photoprints from lodging against a side wall of the apparatus. v

Another object is to provide a device capable of thorough washing with great economy of water.

Another object is to provide a photoprint washing device having means to maintain swirl ing washing water at the most effective level, but

nonetheless capable of being readily I drained without the necessity of moving heavy, waterfilled container parts.

A specific object is to provide an inlet nozzle of unique construction having the dual function of creating swirlin movement of the washing water and warding the prints away from the center of whirling movement.

Another specific object is the provision of an outlet to cooperate with such a nozzle in retarding the egress of uncontaminated and slightly contaminated water while facilitating the egress of highly contaminated water.

A further object is to provide a washing device which, although it has superior functional characteristics and great durability, is economical to manufacture and install.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, in which reference ishad to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention and Fig. III is an enlarged fragmentary interior elevational view showing a nozzle which constitutes one of the elements of the instant invention.

Fig. IV is a view, enlarged to the same scale as Fig. III, showing in section a fragment of a side wall and showing in elevation the nozzle mounted thereon with a fragment of an inlet pipe connected thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device comprises, among other elements, a basin or pan I having a circular side wall 2 which, in the form of device shown in Fig. I, has circumferentially extending interior ribs 3, the upper edge of the side wall 2 being finished with an outwardly and downwardly curved bead 4.

The bottom 5 of the pan I slopes downwardly to a sump 6 at its center, and secured to the lower side of the sump and leading from an outlet opening therein is an L-type fitting I.

The L-type fitting I leads into a discharge hose 8, the outer end of which is surrounded by a helix 9 of resilient wire, the portion of the hose which is surrounded by the helix being bent into a c-shaped curve and held in that condition by means of a tie III.

A hook .I I, having an eye connected to one of the coils of the helix 9, may be engaged over the bead 4to hold the discharge hose 8 in the position in which it is shown in Fig. I, in which position no water will be discharged from the pan I until water therein reaches the level at which the diswherein similar reference numerals designate" similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a side elevational view of a washing device embodying the instant invention in preferred form, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section.

Fig. II is a similar view of a washing device embodying the instant invention, certain features thereof being modified and showing the action of jets designed to accomplish the objects of creating'a whirlpool action and yet preventing floating prints from accumulating at the center of the whirlpool.

charge hose will be filled sufliciently so that water can escape through its C-shaped outer end.

The pan I is supported upon an annular base I2 having an inwardly extending flange I 3, the inner edge I4 of which is curved upwardly, and having a vertical peripheral portion I5 provided with an opening I6 through which the hose 8 extends, the upper part of the peripheral portion I5 of the base I2 being spun over the lower part of the side wall 2 of the pan I so that the lower part of the pan is snugly embraced and the pan is firmly held in position on the base.

Mounted on the side wall 2, adjacent its upper edge, is a nozzle I! which may be machined from hexagonal bar stock and which is formed with a hollow dome I8 that is surrounded by a hexagonal nut-like portion I9, at the corners of which are small teeth 20. Extending from the nut-like portion I9 and integral therewith is a threaded nipple 2| which passes through a hole in the side wall 2 of the pan I and upon which is threaded a nut ZZthat can be turned up to clamp the nutlike portion I9 against the inner surface of the side wall 2, the small teeth 20 biting into the tending through the nut-like portion 19 of the' nozzle, the axis of the orifices 25 also lying in the plane of the great circle upon which the orifices 23 and 24 are located.

The orifice 25, which is the largest of the three,

protuberances 3a are in the form of nodules and are located on a separate band 29a lying within the side wall 2a, which is smooth. Circumferential ribs or other rugations likewise could be located on a separate band.

The modification illustrated in Fig. II is equipped with a dam 28a which is of frustoconical shape and has holes 210, adjacent its lower edge. The dam may have other shapes which rise above the sump.

The nozzle l1 and nut 22 preferably are made of brass or corrosion-resistant metal, and when the device is installed, tubing 30, which may be projects a jet nearly tangentially into the circular I pan I which impinges on the surface of the water in the pan, thus setting up and maintaining a vigorous and highly agitated whirlpool. The orifice 24, the size of which is smaller than that of the orifice 25, projects a jet at an angle of about 30 from the direction of the jet projected from the orifice 25. The jet from the orifice 24, as it impinges on the surface of the water in the pan, serves not only to assist in causing the swirling and agitated motion of the water but also in retarding the counter-centrifugal movement of immersed prints toward the center of the whirlpool and successively ducking prints beneath the surface of the water upon which the jet impinges. The orifice 23 emits its jet at an angle of about 75 from the direction in which the jet is projected from the orifice 25, the jet from the orifice 23 thus being directed within about 15 of the center of the whirlpool to sweep out of the center and reimmerse prints which otherwise would tend to collect at the center.

It is, of course necessary that the jets from the inwardly directed orifices 24 and 23 and, in particular, the orifice 23 shall impinge upon the surface of the water at an angle of not more than about 45 from the horizontal so that the principal component force of the jet will tend to force the floating prints outwardly from the center of the whirlpool. If the jet 23 impinged upon the water at such angle that its principal component was vertical, it would not adequately move the prints away from the center of the whirlpool.

If the whirling water were withdrawn rapidly through an unobstructed opening below its center, the surface of the water would tend to develop a funnel-like contour above the opening and floating prints would be sucked into the opening, thus interfering with the discharge and suffering probable damage. To prevent such an effect and to cooperate with the nozzle ll, the instant inventicn includes a dam 26, which, in the form of the device illustrated in Fig. I, is hemispherical with arch-shaped openings 21 around its lower edge, the lower edge being fitted into the sump 6.

It has been found that the action of the device maybe improved somewhat by the provision of a small hole 28 in the top of the dam 26.

.If the inner surface of the side wall 2 were smooth, prints coming into engagement with the side wall would tend to stick against it and would not be readily dislodged because the swirling water could not get behind them. This is prevented in the device of the instant invention by protuberances such as the ribs 3, illustrated in Fig. I, which hold the prints away from the side wall surface so' that water can flow behind them and dislodge them.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. II, the

of brass, copper, aluminum or other metal, leads from the nipple to a water line.

Thepan I and the annular base l2 (and in the modification of Fig. II the band 29a) preterably each is constructed of seamless sheet aluminum alloy, which may be anodized, though stainless-or galvanized steel or plated copper or othermetal will serve.

It has been found by tests that the device of the instant invention thoroughly washes photoprints in less time with less water consumption than prior art devices with which measured comparisons have been made. The nozzle action and the cooperating drain action provide turbulence, scattering and tumbling of prints without lodgmentugainst side walls or over outlet openings,

After use the device may be emptied by simply unhooking the hook H and dropping the free end of the hose 8 below the level of the sump B.

The embodiments of the invention herein shown and described are to be regarded as illustrative only, and it is to be understood that the invention'is susceptible to variation, modifica-. tion and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a photoprint washer, in combination, a basin having-'a circular side wall and an inwardly and downwardly sloping, bottom in which is formed a centrally located sump. said sump having an outlet, a hose connected to' said out-- let and extending therefrom to beyond the side wall of said basin, said hose having a discharge end, means for releasably holding the discharge end of said hose in an operating position at a level above the bottom of said basin and below the upper edge of said side wall, and agenerally hemispherical cover overlying said sump and rising thereabove to a level below that of the discharge end of said hose when in operating position, said cover having apertures in line with the bottom of said sump.

2. In a photoprint washer, in combination, a basin having a circular side wall, means for maintaining a fixed water level in said basin and a nozzle mounted on said side wall and projecting interiorly thereof at a point above the surface. of the water contained in said basin, said nozzle having-an orifice located to emit a jet substantially parallel to a plane tangent to said side wall at the point of emission and an orifice located to emita jet directed inwardly at a substantial angle to the direction of the jet emitted. by the first mentioned orifice and downwardly to impinge upon the surface of the water insaid basin at an anglenot more than 45 to the horizontal,-said: nozzle being at a height above the i water level such that the last mentioned jet impinges upon the surface of the water at a distance approximately equal to the radius of said basin from said nozzle and at a point slightly removed from the center of said basin whereby the action of the last mentioned jet forces floating prints away from the center of said basin.

3. In a print washer, in combination, a basin having a circular side wall, and an inwardly and downwardly sloping bottom in which is formed a centrally located sump, a, generally dome shaped cover overlying said sump, an outlet from the bottom of said sump having water level control means for maintaining a water level in said basin above the top of said cover, and a nozzle projecting inwardly from said side wall and having orifices for emitting jets of water into said tank, said nozzle being located at a point above the maintained water level and said orifices being so directed as to emit a first jet directed substantially tangentially to said wall at the point of emission and other jets directed inwardly at angles to the direction of the first mentioned jet, all of said jets impinging on the surface of the water at angles of not more than 45 to the horizontal for creating a circular motion of the water in said basin, at least one of said jets being directed inwardly at an angle such that the water emitted thereby impinges on the surface of the water maintained in the basin at a point approximately a radius length distant from said nozzle and spaced slightly laterally from the center of said basin thereby urging floating prints away from the center of said basin.

4. A photoprint washer comprising, in combination, a basin having a circular side wall with inwardly extending protuberances and a downwardly sloping substantially conical bottom in which is formed a centrall located sump, an inverted substantially dome shaped sump cover overlying said sump, said cover having openings around its lower edge at approximately the level of the bottom of said basin to permit the passage of contaminated water and dregs into said sump, said sump having a central outlet, a discharge hose connected to said outlet and extending therefrom to beyond the side wall of said basin, means for releasably holding the discharge end of said hose in operating position at a level above the upper portion of said dome shaped cover for Cir maintaining a water level above the top of said dome shaped cover, and a nozzle projecting interiorly from said side wall and having orifices for emitting jets of water into said basin, said nozzle being located at a distance above the maintained water level and said orifices being so directed as to emit jets, the first of said jets being directed substantially tangentially to said side wall at its point of emission, another of said jets being directed inwardly at an angle to the direction of the first mentioned jet and another of said jets being directed inwardly at slightly less than 90 to the first mentioned one of said jets, all of said jets impinging upon the surface of the water maintained in said washer at angles of less than 45 to the horizontal, the last mentioned one of said jets impinging at a point spaced laterally from the center of said washer whereby the first mentioned ones of said jets create and maintain a whirlpool action in said washer and the last mentioned one of said jets deflects floating prints away from the center of said whirlpool, said sump cover serving in cooperation therewith to prevent the creation of a central whirlpool depression in the water in said washer.

GRANT M. RICHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UJFQITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 413,748 Bowman Oct. 29, 1889 715,908 Hoorn Dec. 16, 1902 747,241 Schneider Dec. 15, 1903 926,380 Amon June 29, 1909 1,029,487 Burdick June 11, 1912 1,470,188 Pryde Oct. 9, 1923 1,580,476 Fassio Apr. 13, 1926 1,593,016 Campbell July 20, 1926 1,706,418 Sissom Mar. 26, 1929 2,021,247 Waugh Nov. 19, 1935 2,053,533 Rizor Sept. 8, 1936 2,105,165 Schnelz Jan. 11, 1938 2,217,531 Werneth Oct. 8, 1940 2,277,120 Lindsey Mar. 24, 1942 

